As the educating bodies of society, schools play a major role in any good social cause. When the whole world is gearing up to avert the plastic menace and to make the world greener, schools can really play a big role in minimizing plastic use. The minds of children are impressionable and they can catch up things easily and quickly than elders. When the seeds of working for a greener environment are sown in their hearts, they can really make a significant contribution to make the world a better place to live in.
Why the topic of reducing plastic use is important for schools?
School is a miniature society and a large community. The policies implemented by the school and the various educative measures implemented by the school can go a long way in educating and encouraging the children to do their bit to save the environment. By making children responsible citizens, schools can prepare them to make the world a better place for their future life. Also, considering the amount of plastic waste that the schools can save with the right measures, the policies and practices by schools regarding the use of plastic can do a major contribution to the green movement.
Tips to reduce plastic use in school
Focus on food packaging to containers. Educate the children on green practices in packing lunch. If we actually reflect on how much plastic we are actually using we might be able to cut down on the plastic usage through conscious efforts.
The snacking and fast food culture today has made it extremely difficult to cut down on plastic usage especially when kids are involved. Most snacks come packed in plastic snack bags today. In addition, there is also a long list of plastic disposable items used in the foods and beverages industry like plastic straws and one time use plastic containers. Then you must also focus on the plastic utensils and plastic lunch boxes. Most of these items end up in trash while some are not used long enough to justify their presence with us.
Set up a tuck shop in the school with zero-waste products and alternative packaging solutions. Store things in reusable bags and bulk bins. Sell some healthy snacks and through the store cultivate the practice of desisting from the use of plastic.
Some lunch items will need packing anyway. A good alternative to plastic while packaging things include the use of beeswax wraps. This covering can cling well to glass containers and also has waterproof characteristics. You can use beeswax wrap to cover containers, make bags and wrap sandwiches. Reusable beeswax wrap can also be made easily by you. Silicone storage bags is another viable alternative to plastic bags.
Educate kids to get water bottles to school rather than depending on disposable water bottles. While reusable plastic water bottles can also be a viable solution to this, the other better alternatives could be glass bottles with silicone sleeves. Glass bottles are also easy to clean.
Stainless steel lunch boxes that come with compartments can provide an easy solution to packaging lunch to school. Explore ways in which you can scrap the use of plastic ware and depend increasingly on the reusable materials.
